Bangla Localization of OpenOffice.org. Asif Iqbal Sarkar Research Programmer BRAC University Bangladesh

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1 Bangla Localization of OpenOffice.org Asif Iqbal Sarkar Research Programmer BRAC University Bangladesh

2 Localization L10n is the process of adapting the text and applications of a product or service to enable its acceptability for a particular cultural or linguistic market. Numerous Locale details ( Currency, National regulations and holidays, Cultural sensitivities, Product or service names etc.) Localization primarily includes: Translating text content, software source code, web sites, or database content Adjusting graphic and visual elements and examples to make them culturally appropriate

3 Software Localization The term "software localization" describes the process of altering software products for marketing to people who speak languages other than English.

4 Internationalization I18n is planning and implementing products and services so that they can easily be localized for specific languages and cultures. Internationalization include: Creating illustrations for documents Allowing space in user interfaces Creating print or web site graphic images Ensuring that the tools and product can support international character sets for software, Ensuring data space so that messages can be translated from languages with single-byte character codes (English) into languages requiring multiple-byte character codes (Japanese Kanji).

5 OpenOffice.org architecture The whole OpenOffice.org architecture is based on a layered approach. There are four well-defined layers, each covering a special area of the functionality. System Abstraction Layer Infrastructure Layer Framework Layer Application Layer

6 L10N and I18N Project of OpenOffice.org The L10N and I18N project contains a framework and tools for localization (l10n) and internationalization (i18n). l18n The i18n framework offers functionality which is needed to internationalize applications like an office suite (OOo). The old i18n framework (i18n) offers only support for western languages The new i18n framework support for western, Chinese, Japanese and Korean (CJK) languages and languages which needs Complex Text Layout like Arabic, Hebrew, Indic and others.

7 l18n Framework Functionality Word, line and sentence break Search and replace Paragraph numbering Transliteration Character classification Number Formats Calendar Collation Locale data (date/time/number/currency format, calendar information etc )

8 l18n Framework Internationalization (i18n) of an application is complete only if any locale support can be added without changing the application binary. Development platforms like win32 and Java provide i18n APIs to internationalize applications that will run on windows and Java platforms only. The OpenOffice.org I18n framework provides a rich set of i18n APIs to internationalize OpenOffice.org applications using the Universal Network Objects (UNO) component model. This i18n framework is platform-independent and can run on any platform on which OpenOffice.org is supported. The new OpenOffice.org i18n framework is Unicode based and offers a rich set of APIs and functionality. The i18n framework allows localization developers to add new locales or enhance existing locale behavior to meet regional market requirements without modifying the OpenOffice binary.

9 L10N Framework The L10N-Framework of OpenOffice.org provides a easy to use environment to introduce new languages to the system and to support new localization of OpenOffice.org. The L10N-Framework is based on the multi platform build environment of OpenOffice.org and it allows only rebuild of those targets which are mandatory for localization.

10 L10N Tools for Translation A second method for native language support. The l10n module offers several localization tools which support extraction of strings and context information out of source code. Also merging back localized strings is supported. 1. Adding a New Language to the Office Suite 2. Extracting and Merging Strings and Messages The framework is built over the component model UNO thus making the addition of new localization components easy.

11 Localization of OpenOffice.org Localization of OpenOffice.org involves: Assuring that OpenOffice.org can work with your script in the platform in which you want to use it. Assuring that some changes are made in the OpenOffice.org source, so that the program recognizes your language as one of the languages it can work in.

12 Localization of OpenOffice.org Translation of OpenOffice.org to your language. Translation has different levels. 1. The first one is translating the menus and messages of the program itself. 2. The second one includes also the translation of the help pages of OpenOffice.org, not a small task. 3. The third level adds the development of documentation for OpenOffice.org in your language.

13 Localization of OpenOffice.org Steps of translation Extracting all strings and messages out of the source code for translation. Translating the source code using well known localization tools. (localize). Merging back the translated strings into the code. Rebuilding the localization targets inside the build environment. A Localized installation set will be created automatically.

14 Status of Bangla Localization of OO Aim is to Develop a Bangla version of the office suit. Developed a Bangla Locale file for OpenOffice.org. Bn_BD and bn_in stable locale files. Bangla is not in the supported languages list in the Localization framework project of OpenOffice.org.

15 OpenOffice.oreg support for Bangla Bangla Script Support Bangla Rendering Support No Bangla Script support In dialogue boxes. Unsynchronized forward and backward movement of cursor causing problems for Replacement, deletion operations for Bangla text processing. Rendering Problem

16 Lingucomponent Project The Lingucomponent Project provides the writing aid features: spell checking, hyphenation, and thesaurus. One of the goals of the Lingucomponent project is to develop dictionaries and affix files to support spell checking in different languages.

17 Lingucomponent Project Spellchecker Ispell s dictionary and affix files are converted to conform with MySpell and then the licensed dictionary files are sent to the project authority who includes the specific language dictionary in the next release of OpenOffice.org OpenOffice.org doesn't provide dictionary for Bangla. MySpell supports only 8-bit encoding. No Unicode Support for Bangla script.

18 Bangla Computing Integration into OpenOffice.org OpenOffice.org provides flexibility for adding components to it through component based API called UNO (Universal Network Object). UNO Features UNO is the base component technology for OpenOffice.org. It is used to write components that interact across languages, component technologies, computer platforms, and networks. Currently UNO is available on Linux, Solaris, and Windows for Java, C++ and OpenOffice.org Basic.

19 UNO Features UNO is used to access OpenOffice.org using its Application Programming Interface (API). The OpenOffice.org API is the comprehensive specification that describes the programmable features of OpenOffice.org. It is possible to connect to a local or remote instance of OpenOffice.org from C++, Java and COM/DCOM using UNO. C++ and Java Desktop applications, Java servlets, Java Server Pages, Jscript and VBScript, and languages, such as Delphi, Visual Basic and many others can use OpenOffice.org to work with Office documents. It is possible to develop UNO Components in C++ or Java that can be instantiated by the office process and add new capabilities to OpenOffice.org. For example, Chart Add-ins or Calc Add-ins, linguistic extensions, new file filters, database drivers and even complete applications, such as a groupware client.

20 Remote Connectivity to OpenOffice.org Open Documents Write Components OpenOffice.org Server program Add Components SERVICES UNO OpenOffice API Client program JAVA Client program C++ Client program VB

21 Remote Connectivity to OpenOffice.org A Unicode file is loaded remotely in OpenOffice.org

22 Remote Connectivity to OpenOffice.org This is the normalized form of the loaded file...then å is searched and replaced with к and the replaced character is highlighted.

23 Simple Bangla OCR and OpenOffice Integration OCR program with sample Bangla input

24 Simple Bangla OCR and OpenOffice Integration OCR client program accesses the OpenOffice.org server to use it s services. This client-server model approach is platform independent. After getting the scanned Bangla document the Bangla OCR program will simply recognize the characters and send the Unicode code points of the characters to the OpenOffice.org server with a request to open a window to display the recognized characters where an user can edit or modify the document. Here a simple Bangla OCR program is used as a sample to demonstrate the approach that could be extensively used to develop useful programs or utility components as client programs in a distributed system by getting the service from OpenOffice.org.

25 Simple Bangla OCR and OpenOffice Integration Editable Output in a OpenOffice.org document

26 References OpenOffice Homepage OpenOffice Localization and Internationalization Project I18n API UNO Home page

27 THANK YOU